Conveyer mechanism



Patented Oct. 11, 1932 1;; STATES PATENT oFFicE HENRY Ci KELLERyOFISYRAGUSE, NEW YORK, AND MAYNARD VAN BILLIAIRD, OF

. sxmousi New Yoa'x,

This invention-relates toanimprovement im-a-conveyer mechanism that has for its obthe provision of'means actuated by each article passing along a guideway which means i L controls the operation of mechanism associat- '4 ticles such as box'esto operator stations and is -'here"'illustr'ated"asapplied to an installation vwhei'ein tenoperator stations are installed along themain guideway while three operator stations are insta'lled along a branch 20 guidewaywAt'such' stations boxes supplied by the conv'eyer are treated'by-the operators and thensent'to the proper destinations.

This particular installation is set forth as an illustration of the invention in the following specification and in'the drawings which form a partthereof in which:

Fig; 1 is a view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically the selected embodiment of this invention;

' Fig.2 is an enlarged side elevation illustrating the deflector mechanism with control means therefor, employed in this embodiment, the mechanism being in the operative position, and a wiring-diagram;

- Fig. 3 is a plan view of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 2 with the deflector mechanism in operative position; i

' Fig. 4 is an elevation of the trip actuated by each article travelling along the guideway; 40 and Fig. 5 is an elevation of the ratchet actuated by the trip. Y

Referring to Fig. 1 boxes A travel in a train along a guideway to a deflector 45 mechanism 11 by which certain boxes B are Applicationfiled October 15, 1930. Serial No. 488,792.

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS TO THE LAMSON COMPANY, OF

A: C QRPO RATION OF MASSACHUSETTS I g oonvnxinn MECHANISM deflected onto a branch guideway 12, while other boxes C continue along the main guideway 10. Located along the main guideway 10 beyond the deflector mechanism are a plurality of operator stations 13, ten such stations being 'here shown, while located along the branch guideway 12 are three other such operator stations 14. The articles approaching the deflector mechanism 11 pass first through a spacing device 15 which may be of any desired type as for example that shown in the application of Chester S. J en nings, Serial No. 465,098, filed July 1, 1930, by which the articles are spaced a predetermined distance apart and thence through a device 16 by which the operation of'the deflector arm is controlled.

The purpose of the present embodiment isto separate the boxes approaching over the main guideway into two groups, one, con taining ten boxes, continuing over the main 'guideway, while the other, containing three boxes, is deflected onto the branch guideway, such separation being performed automatically without necessitating the attention of an operator. The deflector mechanism 11, illustrated in Figs 2 and 3, to which attention is particularly directed, comprises a deflector arm 20 of the well known type mounted at one end upon a shaft 21 suitably supported in a bracket 22 secured to one of the side rails 23 of the main guideway, between which travels a conveyer belt 24. Secured to the shaft 2] is an arm 25 connected by an extension 26 to a link 27 carried by the core 28 of a solenoid 29 suitably supported by a side rail 23- in any desired manner. A spring 30 extending below the belt 24 normally holds the arm 20 in the open position resting against a stop 31 also carried by a side rail. When the deflector arm is in the operating position boxes transported by the belt 24 are deflected into the branch guideway 12, here shown as including a conveyer belt 35 which travels swung into the operating position against the tension of the spring 30. The solenoid 29 is in a circuit 40 which also includes a normally-opensw itch,41, here shown-as of vthe mercoid typed? Such a switch is open 'when horizontal as shown in Fig. 2 and, closed w n t tedi. t e e u y th r in flowing the end-of the tube that the current will traverse-m asu'itable' 'source of supplythrough the core 29, energizing it and causing the deflector arm to be swung, into, the

operating position.

The switch 41 is a partof the control device 16 shown at the right of Figs. 2 and 3, being carried by a suitable frame which extends iabove theimainjguideway and on whichis supported a transversely extending shaft 51 ;An,arm 52-hereafter referred to as;:a trip vis pivotally mounted at its upper endon thfshaft 51 and extends, into the path of travelofthe-articles-so that it is actuated by each article-as it passes through the controldevice. The trip 52,' as%'shown-;in Fig. 4, preferably comprises apair of plates 53 separated; by blocks 54, 55. In a-pocket in the block 54: is'mounted a pawl 56 normallyheld extended by aspringr57 in the position shownin Fig. .4. Carried by the shaft 51 between the plates 53 is a ratchet wheel '60 suitably; spaced by-collars 61from the plates 53, the teeth 62 of the ratchet being normally inscontactwith the pawl '56- Secured on each side-,of the ratchet are al enate-blocks 63 which, inthe present instance,-.span the distance defined by three of the-teeth 62. *As shownparticularly in Fig. 5,'the ratchet 60 is provided with twenty-six teeth 62 and the blocks 63 are diametrically arranged in pairs separated by ten teeth. Pivotally. mounted between two angle plates 65, carried by the upright 50 is a tongue 66 on which is supported the mercoid'switch 41-. One end of the tongue 66 is supported on a stud 67 carried by theplates 65,- while the other'endnormally rests on a cross pin 68 also carried by the plates so that the switch is inits: normal position with the circuit open. The end of the tongue 66 which rests upon the pin 68 terminates in a yoke formed by fingers 69 separated by a space 70 through which the ratchet 60 normally moves without interference. A pawl 71, carried by the plates above the tongue 66 normally en gages the teeth 62 and thus prevents the travel of the ratchet 60 in other than the clockwise direction indicated'in Fig. 2. The projecting fingers 69 of the tongue 66 extend into the path of travel'of the blocks 63, so that when engaged thereby the tongue is step. This movementof the rat chet out of the position shown in Fig. 2 brings-' two of the blocks 63 into contact with the fingers 69, tilting the tongue 66 and thus through the switch ll closing th circuit {10, energizing the solenoid 29and'carryingthe arm 11 into the position shown in Fig.3. The arm remains in'this position until the trip 52 has been actuated by two more boxes A and since the boxes are equally spaced it will be apparent that during this time three boxes will be deflected from the main-'gui'deway onto the branch guideway. When the third boxactuates the trip 52'howe'ver, the blocks 63 pa$ beyond the fingers 69 and the tongue is returned by gravity to :the: normal position shown in Fig; 2, which position itretains until another pair of blocks 63 have-been brought into contact therewith after the passage of ten articles."- Gonsequentlythe train of boxes A is divided into two groups consisting 'of ten boxes-which pass to theoperatorstations 13 and three boxes which pax to the operator station 14. This division of the boxes continues as long as boxes are being fedto the control device.

While the operation. of this device hasbeen described for the separation of the boxes into groups of ten and three respectively, it" is obvious that by changing the positions of the blocks 63 or by substituting for the'blocks here shown blocks which span four; five or any number of-teeth or by substituting for thetwenty-six toothed ratchetwheel 6o, a ratchet wheel having a greater or less number of teeth the train of boxes can be divided into groups of any desired. number. F urthermore, instead of operating the deflector arm as here shown, the control device may be employed to operate a stop counter, an elevator or any other element associated with i the travel of the boxes. v

The feature of this invention is the provision of a control device operated automatically by the passing articles by which the articles are manipulated, and while one'embodiment of this invention has been shown and described, we are not limited thereto since other embodiments could be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as set forth in the following from the guideway, said mechanism including a deflector 'arm,'electrical means which, whenenergized, shift said arm into operating osition, and means actuated by each artic e passing along the guideway toward the deflector arm, which means after actuation by a predetermined number of articles energizes said electrical means, which thereupon shifts the deflector arm into operative position to deflect from the guideway articles which have actuated such means and holds it energized until said means have been actuated by a predetermined number of articles.

In a conveyer system including a guideway along which articles travel, a deflector mechanism by which articles may be deflected from the guideway, said mechanism including a deflector arm, electrical flect'from the guideway articles which have means, which when energized shift said arm into operating position, a trip actuated by each article traveling along the guideway toward the deflector arm, and means operated by said trip afteractuation by a predetermined number of articles for energizin said electrical means which thereupon 'shi s the deflector arm into operative position to de actuated such means and keeping it energized until a predetermined number of articles have actuated the trip.

' 3. In a conveyer system including a guideway along which articles travel, a deflectormechanism by which articles may be deflected from the guideway, said mechanismcomprising a deflector arm, an electrical element which, when energized, shifts said arm into operating position, a movable circuit control means for controlling the action of said elec-' device by which the electrical element is energized or deenergized and means actuated by each article as it travels along the guideway toward the deflector arm, which means after actuation by a predetermined number of articles moves said device into a position wherein it energizes the electrical element and the arm is shifted into operating position to deflect from the guideway articles which have actuated such means and holds the device in such position until it has been actuated by a predetermined number of articles.

4. In a conveyer system including a guideway alongwhich articles travel, a deflector mechanism by which articles may be deflect-' ed from the guideway, said mechanism including a deflector arm, electrical means for trical means, comprising a trip actuated by each article, a circuit control device and movable means operated upon ,each actuation of the trip which movable means after a predetermined number of operations causes said device to close the circuit to energize the electrical means and shift the deflector arm into operative position, and after a further predetermined number of operations allows the device to open the circuit to deenergize the electrical means and shift the arm into the inoperative position.

5. In a conveyer system including a uideway along which articles travel, a de ector mechanism by which articles may be deflected from the guideway, said mechanism including a deflector arm, electrical means for shifting said arm into operating position and means for controlling the action of said electrical means, comprising a trip actuated by each article, a circuit control device, a movable support for such device which, in one position, causes the device to close the circuit and movable means operated upon each actuation of the trip, which movable means, after a predetermined number of operations, moves said support whereupon the circuit is closed to energize the electrical means and shift the deflector arm into operative position and'after a further predetermined number ofmovements causes the circuit to open,

deenergizing the electrical means and returning the deflector arm to its inoperative position.

6. In a conveyer system including a ide-.

way along which articles travel, a de ector mechanism by which articles may be deflected from the guideway, said mechanism including a deflector arm, electrical means for shiftin said arm into operating position and means. or controlling the action of said electrical' means, comprising a trip actuated by each article, a circuit control device, a pivis otally mounted support for such device which device keeps the circuit open when the support is ,in its normal position, and movable means operated upon each actuation of the trip, which movable means, after a predeterinined number of operations raises said support out of its normal position to cause the device to close the circuit whereupon the electrical means is energized to shift the deflector arm into operative position, and after a'further predetermined number of movements allows the support to resume its normal position whereupon the circuit is opened, the electrical means deenergized and the deflector arm shifted to its inoperative positlOIL.

7 In a conveyer system including-a uideway along which articles travel, a de ector ation of the trip, which movablemeans, after a predetermined number of operations raises the sup ort from its normal position Cause I circuit the electrica means is deenergized the devlce to close the circuit whereupon the electrical means is energized to shift the deflector arm into operative position, and after a further predetermined number of opera tions allows thesupport to resume its normal position whereu on the device opens the and the deflector arm shifted 'into inoperative position.

Si ed by I New ork, this 13th da of September, 1930,

and b MAYNARD VAN HENRY 0. KELLER. MAYNARD VAN BILLIARD.

HENRY O. KELLER at Syracuse,

ILLIARD at Syracuse, New ork, this 10th day of October, 1930. 

